First Fleet of South Australia

At least nine ships were employed by the South Australian Company in 1836 to carry its staff and the first European settlers from England to the south coast of Australia for the establishment of the City of Adelaide and the province of South Australia.[1]

All nine ships associated with the company were in communication or at least aware of each other during the voyage and were all represented at the proclamation of the new province.[2] The ships began sailing from England in 1836 from January until about June, and arrived on the South Australian coast from July to December that year, when the new province was proclaimed.

Ships

It is difficult for scholars to arrive at a definitive list of pioneer ships given the lack of extant primary evidence due to poor record keeping and accidental loss of records.[3][Notes 1] The following list is based on the best available records,[4][1] ordered chronologically by date of arrival in South Australia.

Ship	Type and burthen (bm)	Master	Departure date (1836)	Nepean Bay arrival date (1836)	Holdfast Bay arrival date (1836)
Duke of York 37 passengers	Barque,* 197 tons	Robert C. Morgan	5 April	27 July*[Notes 2][1]
Duke of York 37 passengers	Known passengers:[5][Notes 3] T. Hudson Beare and four children Lucy Ann Beare (died on K.I.) Charlotte Hudson Beare G. Massing Israel Mazey Thomas Mitchell John Neale Charles B. Powell Robert Russell D. H. Schreyvogel Samuel Stephens William West
Lady Mary Pelham 29 passengers	Barque,* 206 tons	Robert Ross	7 April	28 July[Notes 4][1]
Lady Mary Pelham 29 passengers	Known passengers:[Notes 3] Cornelius Birdseye Mrs. Birdseye
John Pirie 28 passengers	Schooner	George Martin	22 February	16 August
John Pirie 28 passengers	Known passengers:[Notes 3] Henry Alford Charles Chandler Mrs. Martin Charles Powell Mrs. Powell James Powell Mary Ann Powell Henry Simpson
Rapid 24 passengers	Brig,* 162 tons	Col. William Light		2 August
Rapid 24 passengers	Known passengers:[Notes 3] Alfred Barker William Bell William Bradley Mrs. Bradley Robert Buck, sen. Robert Bruce Buck William Chatfield Joseph Childs William Clampton John Duncan William G. Field, R.N. William Freemantle Edward Gandy Maria Gandy (William Light's partner) William Gandy Thomas Gepp George Goddard Robert Goddard Robert Keate Hill William Hodges William Jacob William Lawes James Lewis George Mildred Hiram T. Mildred George Penton William S. Pullen John Frank Thorn John Thorpe William Tuckey John Woodforde
Cygnet 84 passengers	Barque	John Rolls		11 September	5 November
Cygnet 84 passengers	Known passengers:[Notes 3] E. Adams James Adams Mrs. Adams William Adams Mrs. Adams John Afford John Avery Thomas Bell Mrs. Bell John Brinnan Robert Bristow Mrs. Bristow Selby Brown John Cannon Samuel Chapman Mrs. Chapman John Corney David Divine Joseph Finch B. T. Finniss Mrs. Finniss George Friend Thomas Gilbert John Goodman William Green Mrs. Green Alfred Hardy E. Harrington A. Heath James Hoare Mrs. Hoare[6] G. S. Kingston W. H. Kingston John Levey Berry Lipson T. Lipson, R.N. Mrs. Lipson Emma Lipson Eliza Lipson Mary Lipson John Locket James Marshall Mrs. Marshall John Morphett William H. Neale Mrs. Neale Henry Osborn J. Osborn Stephen Paris Mrs. Paris Charles Parrington Edmund Parsons Thomas Powis Hugh Quin Thomas W. Rogers Basil Sladden Isaac Sladden Smythett Sladden James Butler Stone James Stubbington Richard G. Symonds William Teasdale Robert G. Thomas William S. Williams Charles Wright Dr. Edward Wright[7] Mrs. Wright
Emma 22 passengers	Barque	John F. Nelson		5 October
Emma 22 passengers	Known passengers:[Notes 3] John Bennett John Cranfield Mrs. Cranfield Henry Douglas Charles S. Hare Mrs. Hare William Wilkins Mrs. Wilkins
Africaine 76 passengers	Barque,* 346 tons	John F. Duff	28 June	2 November	8 November
Africaine 76 passengers	Known passengers:[Notes 3] John Demmett Bagg John Brown Mrs. Brown Henry Bushell Mrs. Bushell Jeremiah Calnan Mrs. Calnan Margaret Clarke James Coltman Mrs. Coltman Daniel Cox James Cronk Samuel East Mrs. East Dr. C. G. Everard Mrs. Everard William Everard Robert Fisher Arthur Gliddon Robert Gouger Mrs. Gouger John Hallett Mrs. Hallett Henry Hill Joseph A. Hill Andrew Jacobs Mary Lillywhite James Masters Mrs. Masters Charles Nantes E. W. Osborne (died on K.I.)[Notes 5] George Parsell Mary Parsell John E. Pollard Maria Pollard John Michael Skipper Dr. John Slater (died on K.I.)[Notes 5] Benjamin Smith Matthew Smith Mary Smith John Snoswell Mrs. Snoswell Robert Thomas Mrs. Thomas W. Kyffin Thomas Frances Thomas Mary Thomas Helen Thomas Mary Vincent Benjamin Wickham William Williams James Windebank Alfred Young
Tam O'Shanter 74 passengers	Barque	Whiteman Freeman		30 November	17 December
Tam O'Shanter 74 passengers	Known passengers:[Notes 3] Thomas Allen Mrs. Allen William Bailes John Barnard Robert Botting Henry Briggs Walter Bromley Maria Catchlove Jane Catchlove Edward Catchlove, sen. Catchlove, jun. John Clarke Thomas Clarke William Finke Charles Forbes Mrs. Forbes William Fouke George Freeth Henry Gilbert George Guthrie William Hardington Alfred Jaques William Jaques Philip Lee Mrs. Lee Thomas Maslin Thomas Masters Henry Moseley William Moseley William Nation William Phillips Mrs. Phillips Clara Rogers Fanny Rogers Josiah Rogers Mary F. Rogers Robert A. Rogers Mrs. Thomas W. Rogers Robert Ross Robert Seaborne Mrs. Seaborne Thomas William Skuce John Stuckey Mrs. Stuckey Edward Surflen George White John White Alexander Woods Mrs. Woods
Buffalo (1813) 174 passengers	Barque	John Hindmarsh		24 December (Port Lincoln)	28 December
Buffalo (1813) 174 passengers	Known passengers:[Notes 3] Giles Abbott, jun. Giles Abbott, sen. Mrs. Abbott John Abbott John William Adams Mrs. Adams Frederick W. Allen Cornelius Bean Jonathan Bean James Bennett Mrs. Bennett Emily Blundell Isaac Breaker Jane Maria Breaker Luke Broadbent Mrs. Broadbent Samuel Chapman Joseph Chegwyn James Chittleborough Mrs. Chittleborough Robert Cock Mrs. Cock James Cock William Coulthard Mrs. Coulthard William Croxall Mrs. Croxall William Ferguson Mrs. Ferguson Charles B. Fisher Elizabeth Fisher James Fisher James Hurtle Fisher Mrs. Fisher Robert Fox W. Henry Giles Osmond Gilles James Harvey Richard Harvey Mrs. Harvey Henry Greig Hewett John Hill William Hill John Hindmarsh Mrs. Hindmarsh Susan Hindmarsh Jane Hindmarsh Mary Hindmarsh Rev. Charles B. Howard Mrs. Howard Young B. Hutchinson William Irvin James Jackson Henry Jickling R.N. Warwick Langley Philip Leigh Arthur F. Lindsay William Malcolm Joseph Middleton Mrs. Middleton John Monck William Moore Henry T. Morris Richard Neville Thomas Norris Mrs. Norris Josiah Oakley Samuel Oakley, jnr Samuel Oakley Mrs. Oakley Thomas Oakley George Ormsby Kate Oxenham Eliza Oxenham Richard Pike Mrs. Pike Frank Potts Jacob Prowse Mrs. Prowse Philip M. Richards George Roberts Mrs. Roberts Isabella Sladden John Sladden Mrs. J. Sladden Richard Sladden Mrs. R. Sladden G. Stevenson Mrs. Stevenson Giles E. Strangways T. Bewes Strangways Stubbing Robert Walker Mrs. Walker William Walker Wheatley

Table notes

The Company's barque South Australian which brought Samuel Stephens's replacement David McLaren to Kingscote, Kangaroo Island on 22 April 1837 is not included in the list.
Disagreement exists in the primary sources as to the arrival date of the Duke of York at Nepean Bay. George Kingston gives the date of the arrival as 28 July whereas Robert Russell, the second mate, gives the date as 27 July.
Passenger names included here are those which might be found elsewhere in Wikipedia and in newspapers of the 1800s. For further names, refer to the external links at the end of the article.
Disagreement exists in the primary sources as to the arrival date of the Lady Mary Pelham at Nepean Bay. George Kingston gives the date of the arrival as 28 July whereas Robert Russell, the second mate, gives the date as 30 July, which is probably correct, as the two vessels spoke to each other on the voyage out, and the Lady Mary was in close company with the Duke.
Osborne and Slater never made it to the mainland, having perished on an exploratory trek on Kangaroo Island

References

"Our Pioneer Ships — A Narrative of 1836". South Australian Register. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 27 July 1886. p. 6. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
"Things That Happened Here a Hundred Years Ago". Sydney Mail. L (1284). New South Wales, Australia. 4 November 1936. p. 7. Retrieved 9 February 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
"Passenger Lists". Bound for South Australia. HistorySA. Retrieved 25 June 2015.
"The Pioneers of South Australia". Adelaide Observer. National Library of Australia. 10 November 1877. p. 6. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
"The First Vessel". South Australian Register. XXII (3509). South Australia. 5 January 1858. p. 2. Retrieved 12 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
Mrs Hoare gave birth to John Hoare near Cygnet River 7 November 1836, claimed to be the first white child born in the colony
Dr Wright was at the meeting called on 10 Feb 1837 to discuss the location of Adelaide."The Colonel Light Statue". The Advertiser. XLIX (15, 011). South Australia. 27 November 1906. p. 7. Retrieved 31 October 2019 – via National Library of Australia. Also see ADB and Adelaide AZ.

First Fleet of South Australia

Ships

Table notes

See also

References

Further reading